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Tired of headaches that don’t respond to medication or seem to start in your neck? Cervicogenic headaches often masquerade as migraines or tension headaches, but the pain actually starts from dysfunction in the neck. Discover how addressing the true origin of your headache can lead to lasting relief.
You don’t have to live in fear of the next headache. If traditional treatments haven’t worked, the problem might be starting in your neck. Our clinic specializes in identifying and correcting the root causes of cervicogenic headaches without medications. Schedule a consultation today with one of our expert sports chiropractic physicians at Hughes Health and take your first step toward relief!
About Cervicogenic Headaches
& Anatomy That Contributes
Cervicogenic headaches are headaches that actually start in the neck, even though you may feel the pain in your head, face, or behind your eyes. These headaches are caused by tight, irritated muscles and joints in the upper part of your neck, which send pain signals that the brain misreads as a headache.
At the base of your skull, there are small but powerful muscles that help support your head and allow you to turn, tilt, and nod. When these muscles—like the suboccipitals, trapezius, and levator scapulae—become tight or inflamed, they can press on nearby nerves. This can lead to pain that feels like it's wrapping around your head or sitting behind your eyes.
Your neck also contains important joints and nerves that connect to the head. When the top bones of the spine (especially the C1–C3 vertebrae) become stiff, misaligned, or irritated often due to posture, injury, or stress, they can trigger headaches. This is especially common if you spend a lot of time looking down at a phone, working at a computer, or driving.
In short, your head pain might actually be a signal from your neck muscles, joints, or nerves asking for help. The good news? When we treat the neck properly, many people find long-lasting relief from their headaches.
Common Causes of Cervicogenic Headaches
Understanding Why It Happens
Cervicogenic headaches are often linked to poor posture, repetitive stress, or unresolved neck injuries. Some of the most common causes include:
Poor Biomechanics & Tech Neck: When your head and neck aren’t moving or positioned the way they’re meant to, such as constantly looking down at a phone, slouching at a desk, or carrying heavy bags on one shoulder, it puts stress on the muscles, joints, and nerves at the top of your spine. Over time, these unnatural movement patterns and postures can irritate the structures in your neck and lead to headaches.
Muscle Tension & Trigger Points: Tight muscles in the neck and upper back, particularly the suboccipitals and trapezius, can refer pain upward into the head, creating a dull, aching, or throbbing sensation.
Previous Injuries: Whiplash, falls, or other neck injuries, even if they happened years ago, can cause lasting stiffness, joint dysfunction, or scar tissue that contributes to headaches.
Stress and Fatigue: Emotional stress often leads to physical tension in the neck and shoulders. This constant tension can build up over time and trigger cervicogenic headaches.
Joint Dysfunction or Arthritis: Degenerative changes in the cervical spine reduces blood flow, tighten muscles, and limit joint mobility in the neck.
Common Conditions Related to Cervicogenic Headaches
Because cervicogenic headaches stem from the neck, they are often connected to other cervical or upper body issues, including:
Treatments for Cervicogenic Headaches
Find Relief Once & For All
Before we are able to treat your headaches at Hughes Health, we must perform a detailed consultation and examination. We start with a one-on-one consultation where our doctors truly listen. We want to understand how your headaches are affecting your life, whether it's keeping you from working, exercising, or simply enjoying time with family. This conversation helps us gather key details that point us toward the root cause of your pain.
In the examination, we assess your movement, muscles, ligaments, and joints using chiropractic, orthopedic, and functional movement testing. Pain is your body’s way of signaling that something isn’t working right. Our job is to find out why. Once we pinpoint the cause, we create a personalized treatment plan to restore function and get you back to living pain-free without unnecessary medications or surgery.
Sports Chiropractic: More Than Just Adjustments
At Hughes Health, we believe true recovery goes beyond spinal adjustments and manipulation. While we are chiropractors, we don’t just focus on your joints. We take a whole-body approach through Sports Rehabilitation to target the muscles and tissues that support you. Your body is more than just bones and joints, and your care should reflect that. By addressing movement, strength, and stability, we help you heal faster, stay active, and prevent future injuries so you can get back to doing what you love without limitations.
PiezoWave Focused Shockwave Therapy: Break Through Stubborn Pain
For chronic cervicogenic headaches and the neck pain, PiezoWave Shockwave Therapy uses focused and targeted sound waves to:
Break up scar tissue and adhesions
Increase blood flow for faster healing
Stimulate natural tissue repair—without surgery or downtime
Deep Tissue Class IV Laser Therapy: Heal from the Inside Out
Our Class IV Deep Tissue Laser uses light therapy to reduce pain and inflammation at the cellular level. This advanced treatment:
Boosts your body’s natural healing process
Reduces pain and inflammation in just 5-10 minutes
Feels like a gentle, warming sensation—no discomfort, just relief
Spinal Decompression: Relieve Pressure, Restore Function
If you're struggling with the neck tightness associated with cervicogenic headaches, Spinal Decompression Therapy provides a gentle, sustained stretch to:
Reduce pressure on your spine and nerves
Guide discs back into proper position
Work alongside chiropractic care and corrective exercises to help you heal and prevent future injuries
Soft Tissue Manual Therapy: Digging Deep
At Hughes Health, we specialize in a wide variety of techniques to address the soft tissue causes of the pain.
Dry Needling: This targets tight or dysfunctional muscles by inserting small acupuncture needles into specific muscles and their trigger points to release tension and promote muscle recovery.
Fire Cupping: Using heated cups to create a suction effect on the skin helps increase blood flow to relieve muscle tightness and reduce pain. This warming effect has been shown to be more effective than the dry suction counterpart.
Graston Technique: Using specialized tools, we gently break up adhesions in your muscles and tendons, improving mobility and encouraging proper tissue healing.
Myofascial Release: Active Release Technique (ART), also known as manual trigger point release, takes your muscles through dynamic movement to release tension and alleviate pain at its source.
Sport Rehab and Custom Exercises: Build Strength, Prevent Injury
Pain relief is just the first step. Staying pain-free while moving and grooving is the goal. Our Custom Therapeutic Exercise Programs help you:
Strengthen muscles and improve mobility
Fix imbalances that cause recurring pain
Get back to doing what you love with confidence
The Right Care, Every Time
At Hughes Health, your recovery comes first. While we specialize in advanced chiropractic care and personalized treatment plans, we also know when you need more. If our exam reveals that additional care is necessary, we’ll connect you with our trusted network of physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and pain specialists. No guesswork, no wasted time—just the right care for the best results.
Your health is our priority. Let’s get you on the path to recovery today!
Why Choose
Hughes Health?
We take pride in providing evidence-based non-invasive approaches to healthcare. Our goal is to identify the root cause of your discomfort and pain to then provide effective and personalized treatment plans to help you achieve long-lasting results. If you're experiencing any of the conditions listed above, don't hesitate to contact us.